Abstract
Formulaic sequences are known for being measures of foreign language fluency for learners. Research in language processing suggests that native speakers as well as learners process these sequences as a single word (ELLIS, 1996). Nevertheless, little is known about the use of formulaic sequences in Portuguese and, even fewer studies have examined the use of formulaic sequences in learners of Portuguese. Therefore, in this study, we sought to investigate the textual function of lexical bundles extracted from a corpus of learners of Portuguese as a Second Language (PSL). Lexical bundles are sequences of three or more words that occur with larger than expected frequency in a specific corpus. In this study, we used corpus linguistics tools to extract lexical bundles that occur frequently at two levels of proficiency – beginner and intermediate – in Portuguese. These bundles were, then, classified according to their textual function. Results indicate that beginner level students use more bundles associated with concrete references, while intermediate learners use more bundles associated with textual organization and stance. This study contributes to the description of Portuguese acquisition at these two levels of proficiency. In addition, the results can foster classroom activities where the PSL teachers introduce new functions of lexical bundles to students. Finally, we hope that this study motivates more research describing the language used at different stages of Portuguese acquisition.
Highlights
There has been extensive research on formulaic sequences (WRAY, 2013), especially on how important and difficult they are to learners of any foreign language, regardless of their proficiency level (PAQUOT; GRANGER, 2012)
From Goulart, who has analyzed the structural patterns across levels of development, this study focuses on the functional patterns of the lexical bundles (LBs) previously found in that study and relates both the structure and function of these sequences of words
Under the overarching term formulaic language, we find several different instances of words sequences, such as, collocations, idioms, lexical phrases, and lexical bundles, the latter being the object of study of the present investigation
Summary
There has been extensive research on formulaic sequences (WRAY, 2013), especially on how important and difficult they are to learners of any foreign language, regardless of their proficiency level (PAQUOT; GRANGER, 2012). Under the overarching term formulaic language, we find several different instances of words sequences, such as, collocations, idioms, lexical phrases, and lexical bundles, the latter being the object of study of the present investigation. Biber et al (1999) define LBs as a frequent and recurring sequence of words in a given text, and as building blocks in a discourse. The authors’ understanding of LBs have inspired subsequent corpus-driven studies related to several types of multiword sequences. In order to be considered a LB these sequences have to occur with a representative frequency in a given corpus. Previous studies have used varied frequency thresholds in order to
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